PRESS COMMUNIQUE OF THE
SECRETARIAT OF THE
PRESIDIUM OF THE NINTH
NATIONAL CONGRESS
OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
OF CHINA

April 1, 1969

The Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China opened in Peking
with grandeur on April 1.

Our great leader Chairman Mao Tsetung presided over today's session and made
a most important speech.

The Ninth National Congress of the Communist Partyof China is convened
at a time when the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution personally initiated
and led by Chairman Mao has won great victory. This great revolution has
prepared ample conditions for the congress politically, ideologically and
organizationally.

Chairman Mao and his close comrade-in-arms Comrade Lin Piao mounted the rostrum
at 5 p.m. Prolonged thunderous applause resounded throughout the hall. The
delegates cheered most enthusiastically "Long live Chairman Mao!" "A long,
long life to Chairman Mao!" "Long live the Communist Party of China!" "Long
live the victory of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution!" "Long live
invincible Mao Tsetung Thought!"

Chairman Mao declared the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party
of China open. Then the congress elected its presidium. It unanimously elected
Comrade Mao Tsetung chairman of the presidium, Comrade Lin Piao vice-chairman
of the presidium and Comrade Chou En-lai secretary-general of the presidium,
and decided upon the members of the secretariat of the presidium.

The congress adopted the agenda for the Ninth National Congress of the Communist
Party of China:

1. The political report by Comrade Lin Piao on behalf of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of China;

2. The revision of the Constitution of the Communist Party of China; and

3. The election of the Central Committee of the Party.

The congress then proceeded with the first item on the agenda.

Comrade Lin Piao made the political report to the congress. In accordance
with Chairman Mao's theory of continuing the revolution under the dictatorship
of the proletariat, Comrade Lin Piao in his report summed up the basic experience
of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, analysed the domestic and
international situation and set forth the fighting tasks for the Party. Comrade
Lin Piao's report was warmly welcomed by the delegates and punctuated by
prolonged applause and cheers.

A total of 1,512 delegates are attending the congress. Among them are proletarian
revolutionaries of the older generation in our Party and also a large number
of advanced elements from among the Party membership who have come forth
in the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. Previous Party congresses have
never seen such great numbers of delegates from the Party membership among
the industrial workers in factories, mines and other enterprises and among
the poor and lower-middle peasants in people's communes and of women delegates
from all fronts. Among the delegates from the Party membership in the People's
Liberation Army which has made outstanding contributions in the Great Proletarian
Cultural Revolution, there are veteran fighters of the Red Army who have
experienced many battles and also new fighters who have performed meritorious
deeds in the fight to defend the frontiers of the motherland. The delegates
of Party members from among the Red Guards are attending a Party congress
for the first time. The delegates to the congress were unanimously chosen
by Party organizations at various levels through full democratic consultation
and after seeking the opinions of the broad masses, in accordance with the
decision of the Enlarged Twelfth Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee
of the Communist Party of China. Tempered in the Great Proletarian Cultural
Revolution, they are imbued with soaring enthusiasm and strong fighting will,
fully demonstrating the unprecedented unity of the great, glorious and correct
Communist Party of China achieved on the basis of great Marxism-Leninism-Mao
Tsetung Thought and under the guidance of Chairman Mao's proletarian
revolutionary line. This signifies that the present congress is a congress
full of vitality, a congress of unity and a congress of victory. It will
have a far-reaching influence in the history of our Party.

Starting from April 2, the congress will hold group discussions on the political
report by Comrade Lin Piao and the draft of the revised Constitution of the
Communist Party of China.